Handle assembly for vehicles, used particularly for illuminating the rear registration plate on automobiles

ABSTRACT

A handle for illuminating the rear registration plate on automobiles and for opening the boot of the car, made up of an attractive support and an integrated insert, which has two bodies formed longitudinally, joined and sealed around their edges, in order to form a common chamber, with an opening on one side which passes through to the outside, and through which the connector is passed, and which has a co-moulded seal on the outside; the said two bodies are made up of: a half-casing shaped on the inside surface in order to position the base of a support for at least one light-body and, if required, a mechanism for opening the boot; the said base operates in conjunction with conductor means, in order to attach each of the said mechanisms to its respective external controls;—a counter-shaped cover with protection means for the light-body and illumination, and in which the said cover has, if required, a membrane which is flexible under pressure, for the opening mechanism of the boot.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0001] 1. Field of the Invention

[0002] The object of this invention is a handle assembly for vehicles,used particularly for illuminating the rear registration plate onautomobiles.

[0003] The invention has particular, but not necessarily exclusive,application in the sector involved in the production of finishedcomponents for the automobile industry.

[0004] 2. Description of the Related Art

[0005] Vehicles, such as automobiles, are widely used. Each one has ameans of identification, which is a registration plate with a series ofletters and numbers, with one at the front of the vehicle and one at theback.

[0006] The front one, as is well known, is not illuminated, while therear one is well lit, as is required by the law in all countries, inorder to make it easier to be read, especially at night.

[0007] To make it even easier to read, the registration plate is locatedin a position in order to make it more legible, and one of thesepositions is often on the door of the boot.

[0008] Since the door is fastened and hinged to the chassis of the car,it obviously has to be opened and closed in some way in order to gainaccess to the inside of the boot of the car. This leads to the companiesinvolved in the sector requiring a single component which fulfills morethan one function. This is made possible by using a handle which allowsa hand to be inserted in order to open the boot or for it to be openedby using a control means, and which is also used to house the lightingsystem for illuminating the rear registration plate.

[0009] The said handle, which is a translation from German of thetechnical term known as “griffleist”, is to be found in a wide varietyof more or less similar examples which are very widespread, a fact whichcertainly does not help in the development of the article, and there area number of persistent drawbacks to this system, which today are nolonger acceptable.

[0010] Traditionally, a handle is made up of basically two elements. Thefirst element is a longitudinal support, with an aesthetically pleasingshape used for trimming purposes, also known by the term “blende”. Thesecond element, or support, when joined on the bottom side of the firstelement, allows the lighting equipment used for illuminating the rearregistration plate and, where foreseen, the boot opening mechanism to behoused. In the most common solutions, the support element is usuallymade out of a single piece of moulded plastic and has two distinctseating units, positioned to the side of the central area used as a handgrip. Each seating unit is made in order to position the relativelighting units, made up of a light bulb, a bulb holder and a cover, andwhich is closed off by a protective lens which sits on a seat around itsperimeter, formed by lowering the area close to the access openings forthe said seats. While the external side of the support is basicallyflat, the inside part has a series of sectors and seating areas ofvarious shapes and sizes in order to house the electrical wiring for thelighting units, and in order to attach it to the boot of the car.Basically, it is a single body that is shaped and formed so that none ofthe internal components may come into contact with each other. Once thesupport and the trimming are joined together by uniting the variousattachment points, there are various parts which are pre-assembledbeforehand, that stick out from the back of the support and that areused for attaching it to the metallic part of the boot. These parts maybe the holders for the lighting units, while in the middle of thesupport there is the electromechanical boot locking mechanism with itsrelative socket, used to connect it to the main control unit.

[0011] To guarantee a good joint between the handle and the door of theboot, there are a number of holes drilled in the door of the boot wherethe parts that protrude from the assembled support are inserted.Finally, to avoid water leaking in to the joint of the said two parts,the handle has a soft seal over the whole of its surface.

[0012] A second solution, which is used by various automobilemanufacturers in order to overcome some of the problems regarding thefirst solution, foresees the use of box-type modules that are snapped onto the trimming. According to each solution, these modules may includeeither the lighting unit or the electromechanical boot-openingmechanism. For obvious reasons, this type of solution also has a sealbetween the joint of the handle and the door of the boot.

[0013] Yet another solution has been recently adopted by anotherautomobile manufacturer. This solution also has a trimming or “blende”,and which has a pseudo-technical insert attached to it. Thecharacteristic of the said insert is that it has only a single support,which completely integrates the two lateral lighting units of theregistration plate. The said support is made from one single,longitudinal element which may be attached to the trimming withoutfastening it or using adhesives, but by using its back part which iscoupled to the longitudinal isolating support base at the ends of thelight holders. The said base has a seal made out of flexible material onthe opposite side to where the moulded circuit is positioned, and whichextends over the whole of the surface which comes into contact with itwhen the handle is attached to the door of the boot. Finally, the saidinsert does not operate in conjunction in any way with the boot-openingmechanism.

[0014] There now follows a brief word regarding the membranes which,when subjected to pressure, act upon the control for the boot-openingmechanism. As was previously observed, there is a specially shapedportion in the handle between the two lighting units that are used toilluminate the registration plate, where it is easy to insert thefingers of a hand so that, by applying a certain pressure at the ends,the boot door may be unlocked and opened. Going further into detail, thefingers press on an area which has a membrane formed on the bottom ofthe central housing unit. The membrane is made up of at least oneperimetral ring with elastic properties, with a stretch of rigidmaterial along its central and internal side portion. On the inside ofthe said support, a slight deformation of the membrane due to pressureacts upon a lever which, being pivoted, acts upon the micro used foropening the boot.

[0015] In the solutions described above, there are various drawbacks,some of which are in common.

[0016] For example, all the above solutions have a large number ofcomponents which obviously have to be organised correctly by thestockhouse personnel.

[0017] The use of a large number of components to construct the handlemeans that the assembly phase is long and arduous, and requires a lot oflabour with consequently high labour costs which weigh quite heavily onthe overall cost of the product and, thus, on the market price. One ofthe most immediately felt consequences of using a large number ofcomponents, along with the fact that the support unit used to containthe components is not standardised, is that it is not very flexible, notvery reliable because of its inherent complex nature and the fact thatit is not particularly innovative. These are all aspects that make itdifficult to justify the high production costs involved, and which arecertainly not in line with the requirements of a dynamic company.

[0018] With reference to the first type of handle in particular, one ofthe most frequent drawbacks is given by the fact that the door of theboot has a large number of holes drilled in it in correspondence withthe joint surface of the handle. This may give rise to rust problems ifthere is an infiltration of water between the components, in spite ofthe use of a seal, and under certain circumstances, the seal may evenworsen the phenomenon.

[0019] A second aspect which must certainly not be overlooked, regardsthe fact that the lighting units, as with the boot door opening switch,are not in a perfectly insulated, waterproof position, and the presenceof humidity is quite common which leads to electrical problems.

[0020] A further drawback regards the assembly aspect which, in thesolutions described in this document, is very long and arduous due tothe fact that there are various parts that have to be stuck together,which add to the already high production costs.

[0021] A further negative aspect is given by the fact that the boot dooropening switch is indirectly operated by the membrane, which means thatit has to be extremely complex and oversized.

[0022] In the second solution described above, some of these drawbacksappear to have been eliminated by adopting the use of modules. However,it is still quite a complex system, and a soft seal is still required inorder to guarantee a certain waterproofing for the equipment andmechanisms contained inside, and must be applied to the entire surfaceof the back of the support. Bearing the above in mind, it seems evidentthat even with this solution the problems regarding waterproofing, whichis not guaranteed, are still present. From an operational point of view,the assembly is still quite complex and requires long assembly times anda lot of labour.

[0023] Finally, even the third solution does not solve the problemspreviously mentioned and, what is more, gives rise to others. Briefly,this solution also has a seal applied to the entire surface of the backof the handle which is to be attached to the boot door, as with theother solutions. This characteristic undoubtedly leads to poorfunctioning of the equipment because, while it may prevent waterinfiltrating into the support, it also covers components which containconductors, such as the base unit itself, which may lead to localisedrust problems.

[0024] For this reason, the companies that operate especially in theautomobile components supply sector require alternative systems that arealso an improvement on the ones currently adopted.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0025] These and other objectives are reached through this inventionaccording to the characteristics in the attached claims, overcoming theproblems outlined by means of a handle for vehicles, used particularlyfor illuminating the rear registration plate of automobiles and foropening the door of the boot, made up of a monolithic trimming and asupport inserted into the said trimming, which has pre-assembled unitsfor illuminating the registration plate and, if foreseen, in anintermediate position, a mechanism for operating the unlocking of theboot door. The said support comprises an integrated support made up twolongitudinal bodies which are joined together around their perimeters,are waterproof, and in which:

[0026] the first body includes a half-casing shaped on the insidesurface in order to position the support base for at least one lightingunit and, if required, a mechanism for opening the boot; the said baseoperates in conjunction with conductor means, and has at least onemoulded circuit along one of its sides in order to connect each of thesaid mechanisms to its respective external controls;

[0027] a second body is made up of a counter-shaped cover with, incorrespondence with at least one lighting unit, an opening with a meansfor the protection of the lighting unit and light diffuser, in which thesaid cover has, if required, a membrane which is flexible under pressureand acts in correspondence with the opening mechanism of the boot;

[0028] and in which, inside the said integrated insert, there is acommon chamber for the housing of the lighting units, and in which saidinsert there is an opening through to the outside for passing electricalcables and the connector, with the said opening having a co-moulded sealmade out of non-rigid material.

[0029] In this way, through the creative contribution that has theeffect of constituting an immediate technical progress, variousadvantages are achieved.

[0030] Firstly, it is possible to have an integrated insert which isextremely compact and waterproof, and in which the possibility of theinfiltration of water or even the formation of condensation isdrastically reduced. In the unlikely event of this happening, thespecial conformation of the chamber together with its interaction with aflue pipe means that the average temperature of the system and,therefore, the conditions that promote the formation of condensation isreduced. At the same time, under normal conditions, the specialconformation of the chamber together with the flue pipe also help toevacuate the heat that is generated by the lighting units, thus avoidinga series of complex problems.

[0031] On the other hand, the relatively simple construction bystandardising the components, together with a reduction of the number ofcomponents that are required, means that there are fewer items to becoded and organised, the product is more reliable and virtuallymaintenance-free, very flexible and, because of these advantages,extremely interesting for both the manufacturer and the customer.

[0032] From a structural point of view, along the back part of thehandle/boot door assembly, all the protrusions are eliminated, exceptfor the connector, which previously obliged the manufacturer toindiscriminately perforate the boot of the car. This means that thepossibility of rust or corrosion forming in that area is drasticallyreduced, or even eliminated. The problem has been overcome byeliminating a large part of the surface of the soft, flexible seal whichwas used on the original handle, helping to create a structure which, inthe case of water entering between the trimming and the insert, is ableto easily drain off the said water.

[0033] In conclusion, these advantages lead to important benefits and aproduct which costs much less than the previous models without losinganything from a quality point of view, and even improves the product incertain aspects by introducing a high technical content.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS

[0034] These and other advantages will be shown in the followingdetailed description and attached schematic drawings of a preferredsolution, the particulars of which are to be considered simplyillustrative and not limiting.

[0035]FIG. 1 is an assembly view and from the lower side of a handle forautomobiles, with lighting units for the illumination of the rearregistration plate and, in an intermediate position, a mechanism to openthe boot door.

[0036]FIG. 2 is an exploded view of the handle for automobiles, as shownin the previous figure.

[0037]FIG. 3 is a longitudinal, partial sectional view of the handle asshown in FIG. 1, along the A-A axis.

[0038]FIG. 4 is a transversal sectional view of the handle as shown inFIG. 1, along the B-B axis.

[0039] Finally, FIG. 5 is a sectional view of the handle as shown inFIG. 1, along the transversal C-C axis.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0040] The invention contained herein regards a handle assembly (A) forvehicles, used particularly for illuminating the rear registration platein automobiles and for opening the door of the boot (B) to gain accessto the boot itself.

[0041] Going into detail, the handle (A) is made up firstly of atrimming (1) out of plastic material, which is a longitudinal,monolithic body open on one side, with the upper side (11), rounded offand on view, and the lower side (12) joined together longitudinallyalong one of their ends that is in common. Along the border (111) of theupper part, there are small tabs (112) that point downwards, withrectangular openings (113) used to fasten it to the integrated insert(2) which is inserted inside the said trimming (1). The lower part (12),which is blended in to the side (11), is to be found at the two oppositeand symmetrical ends of the handle (A), leaving an empty space in themiddle part and for a certain length of it, in order to form a seat (c)which is used to position the said integrated support (2). In this way,the ends of the handle (A) have basically a tapered shape, and areclosed to form a half-casing. Along the remaining part of the lower side(12), which is to be found at each end of the trimming, there are seats(122) which protrude and which are used to fasten the handle assembly(A) at its ends to the door of the boot of the automobile (B). There isalso a reinforcing rib (122) for each end, which provides localisedreinforcement for the two surfaces (11, 12) and a border (123) whichdenotes the end of the side portion (12).

[0042] A support made up of an integrated insert (2) is joined to thetrimming (1) in the relative seats (c). It is made up basically of twoparts (21) and (22), the first of which is a half-casing permanentlyclosed off by a cover (22) and welded at the contact points around theirperimeter. The two lighting units (5) are inserted inside thehalf-casing (21), along with the means for connecting them to theexternal control units. If required, a mechanism (6) for opening andclosing the door of the boot (B) and which is operated externally,consisting of a micro, may also be inserted, and is positioned betweenthe two lighting units (5). Regarding the half-casing, it is made up ofa longitudinal monolithic body with basically a trapezoid section. It isshaped in order to have at least one side (211) which, because of itsflat shape, is put over the corresponding internal, flat surface of theside (119) of the trimming (1) during assembly.

[0043] In the half-casing (21), along the internal surface of the side(211), an insulating support (3) is inserted and snapped in position,and which is used to anchor bulb-holders (4) at the ends. The power forthe bulb holders (4), in order to illuminate the relative bulbs (5), isfed by a circuit moulded along the base (3) of the lower side (31),which is opposite the side to which the said bulb holders (4) are fixed.

[0044] A further possible function of the base (3) is to hold a pair ofmicros (6) for opening the door of the boot (B) in position, on the sameside and in the central portion of where the bulb holders (4) arefastened. The micros (6) are also connected to a relative circuit, whichis moulded into the base (3) along the lower side (31), so that thereare no loose cables inside the half-casing (21). In this way, the onlycables (7) inside a common sheath (8) that connect the respectivecircuits are held together and connected in one position only, on thelower side of the base (3), and are then connected at the other end to acommon connector (9). In order to take the cables (7) and connector (9)to the outside of the integrated insert (2), there is an opening (212)on the bottom of the half-casing (21).

[0045] Going further into detail, in correspondence with the saidopening (212), there is a moulded, thermoplastic seal (213) whichextends towards the outside in the form of a flue pipe. In this way, afurther function of the said opening (212) with the flue pipe (213) is,on the one hand, to ventilate the inside of the integrated insert (2)promoting the release of the heat created in the common chamber thatcontains the equipment (5, 6), while on the other hand it helps to avoidthe formation of humidity.

[0046] In one case, to help the circulation of air even further, theflue pipe (212, 213) may also be formed with a longitudinal sectordivider, which basically divides and facilitates the two directions ofthe circulation, respectively the inlet and the outlet of the flow ofair.

[0047] In a second possible example of flue pipe (212, 213), there aretwo tubular channels for the flow of air, which may even have differentdiameters, in which the first external one is coaxial with respect tothe channel (7), a sheath (8), a connector (9) and a second channelwhich is inside the first one, which stretches into the common chamber.As an alternative, for example in a solution which foresees concentricchannels, the group of cables (7), sheath (8) and connector (9) arebasically inverted, and they pass through the central channel.

[0048] A third and final option for the flue (212, 213) consists inhaving an elbow-shaped tubular element, which may also have differentdiameters. In this case, there is a portion which is perpendicular withrespect to the chamber, followed by a short, orthogonal portion and asecond perpendicular portion. Along one side of the said orthogonalportion, and which coincides with base of the second perpendicularsection, there is a hole. In this way, there is a Venturi effect, whichfurther helps in improving the circulation of the air.

[0049] Finally, a counter-shaped cover (22) is joined to the half-casing(21) and is welded to it around its perimeter. In this case, the saidcover (22) has openings (222) at its ends with a seal (223) around theperimeter in order to guarantee a water-tight seal with the transparentlens (10). The cover, in correspondence with the areas which coincidewith the micros (6) and which are underneath and housed in thehalf-casing (21), has a flexible surface which, when pressed, activatesboth said micros (6) evenly. Going further into detail, the said surface(225) has a small portion of rigid plastic (224) that extends from oneside to the other, in correspondence with and above which a layer ofsoft material (225) is moulded. This material, because of the gap aroundthe perimeter of the rigid plastic portion (224) and because of itsplastic properties, acts as a membrane and provides sufficient returnforce to allow the micros (6) to be deactivated.

[0050] Once the integrated insert (2) has been assembled, it is attachedto the plastic support (1). This operation is extremely simple, and iscarried out by simply snapping it in place. In order to carry out thisoperation, there is a protruding longitudinal tooth (214) along theouter side of the half-casing, which clips into a corresponding seat(114) formed along the lower side and towards the inside of the trimming(1). It is then fastened into place on the other side by means offlexible teeth (215) which stick out and coincide with the position ofthe tabs (112) which are to be found along the trimming (1).

I claim:
 1. Handle assembly for vehicles, characterised by the fact thatit includes an integrated support (2) made up two longitudinal bodies(21,22) which are welded together around their perimeters in order toform a water-tight housing chamber for at least one lighting unit (5),and in which: the first body (21) includes a half-casing shaped on theinside surface in order to position at least one lighting-unit (5),connected by means of conductors (31, 7, 9) and external controls; atleast a second body made up of a counter-shaped cover (22) with, incorrespondence with at least one lighting-unit (5), an opening (222)with a means (223, 10) for the protection of the light-body (5) and thediffuser; and in which, the chamber formed on the inside of theintegrated insert (2) has a single opening (212,213) going through tothe outside for passing the connection cables (7) and the connector (9),and in which the said opening (212) has a seal (213) on the outside. 2.Handle assembly for vehicles according to claim 1, characterised by thefact that, on the side of the integrated support (2) that is fastened tothe door of the boot (B), there is a co-moulded seal (213) on theoutside, formed in correspondence with the said flue (212) which has theshape of a tubular fitting.
 3. Handle assembly for vehicles, comprisinga monolithic, trimming (1) and a support inserted inside the trimming(1), which has pre-assembled lighting units for the registration plate(5) and a mechanism (6) for the opening of the door of the boot (B) inan intermediate position according to the previous claims, characterisedby the fact that the said support comprises an integrated support (2)made up two longitudinal bodies (21, 22) which are joined togetheraround their perimeters and are waterproof, and in which: the first bodyincludes a half-casing (21) shaped on the inside surface in order toposition the support base (3) for lighting units (5) and a mechanism foropening the boot (5); a second body made up of a counter-shaped cover(2) joined permanently to the half-casing (21) with, in correspondenceto each lighting unit (5), an opening (222) with a means for theprotection of the lighting unit (5) and the diffusion of the light(223,10), and in which the said cover (22) has a membrane (224, 225)which is flexible under pressure and acts in correspondence with theopening mechanism (6) of the door of the boot (B); and in which, insidethe said integrated insert (2), there is a common chamber for thehousing of the lighting units (5) and the mechanism (6) for opening thedoor of the boot (B), and in which said insert (2) there is an opening(212) on one side through to the outside for passing the electricalcables (7) used to connect the mechanisms and the connector (9), withthe said opening (212) having a co-moulded seal (213) on the outsidemade out of non-rigid material.
 4. Handle assembly for vehiclesaccording to the previous claims, characterised by the fact that thereis a trimming (1) of the type made from a plastic material, made up of alongitudinal monolithic body which is open on one side, and which has aseat (c) in the central part used for housing the said integratedsupport (2).
 5. Handle assembly for vehicles according to the previousclaims, characterised by the fact that the trimming (1) has holdingmeans for the integrated insert (2) which consist in: a series of tabs(112) with openings (113) along the edge of the upper side which pointdownwards; a corresponding seat (114) formed along the lower side andtowards the inside of the trimming (1).
 6. Handle assembly for vehiclesaccording to the previous claims, characterised by the fact that theintegrated insert (2) is formed by welding the half-casing (21) to thecover (22) at the contact points around the perimeter, in order to housetwo lighting units (5) and means (7, 9) for connecting them to theexternal controls, together with an opening mechanism (6) for the doorof the boot (B), which consists in two micros (6) located between thetwo lighting units (5).
 7. Handle assembly for vehicles according to theprevious claims, characterised by the fact that the integrated support(2) has, along the internal surface of the side (211), an insulatingsupport (3) which is inserted and snapped in position, the upper part ofwhich is used to anchor bulb-holders (4) at their ends. The power forthe bulb holders (4), in order to illuminate the relative bulbs (5), isfed by a circuit moulded along the base (3) of the lower side (31),which is opposite the side to which the said bulb holders (4) are fixed.8. Handle assembly for vehicles according to the previous claims,characterised by the fact that the power for the bulbs (5) by means ofthe lamp-holders (4), is fed by a circuit moulded along the base (3) ofthe lower side (31), which is opposite the upper side to which the saidbulb holders (4) are fixed.
 9. Handle assembly for vehicles according tothe previous claims, characterised by the fact that the base (3), in anintermediate position and on the same side as the fixing point for thebulb-holders (4), supports a pair of micros (6) for the opening of thedoor of the boot (B) connected to a relative circuit, moulded along thelower side (31) of the base (3).
 10. Handle assembly for vehiclesaccording to the previous claims, characterised by the fact that thecables (7) inside a common sheath (8) that connect the respectivecircuits, are collected and connected in a single position on the base(3), and are then connected on the other side to a common connector (9)by passing through the fitting (212, 213).
 11. Handle assembly forvehicles according to the previous claims, characterised by the factthat the cover (22), in correspondence with the area which coincideswith the micros (6) housed in the half-casing (21), has a flexiblesurface (225) formed by a small portion of rigid plastic (224) thatextends from one side of the area to the other, and on which a layer ofsoft material (225) is moulded which, being elastic, acts as a membrane.12. Handle assembly for vehicles according to the previous claims,characterised by the fact that the half-casing (21) is made up of alongitudinal, monolithic bodywith a trapezoidal section, which is shapedso that at least one side (211) fits over the corresponding internalsurface of the side (11) of the trimming (1) during the assembly phase.13. Handle assembly for vehicles according to the previous claims,characterised by the fact that the counter-shaped cover (22) has aseries of openings (222) at its ends with a seal (223) around theperimeter of the said openings, to form a water-tight seal for atransparent cover (10).
 14. Handle assembly for vehicles accordingclaims 1 and 2, characterised by the fact that the flue (212, 213) isformed with a longitudinal, dividing sector.
 15. Handle assembly forvehicles according claims 1 and 2, characterised by the fact that theflue pipe (212, 213), has at least two tubular channels for the flow ofair, which may even have different diameters, in which the firstexternal one is coaxial with respect to the cable channel (7), a sheath(8) and a connector (9), and a second channel which is inside the firstone, and which stretches into the said common chamber.
 16. Handleassembly for vehicles according claims 1 and 2, characterised by thefact that the flue-pipe (212, 213) includes at least two concentricchannels, which have different diameters, in which the group of cables(7), sheath (8) and connector (9) pass through the central channel. 17.Handle assembly for vehicles according claims 1 and 2, characterised bythe fact that the flue (212, 213) is formed by an elbowshaped tubularelement, which may also have different diameters, in which there is aportion which is perpendicular with respect to the chamber, followed bya short, orthogonal portion and a second perpendicular portion; and inwhich along one side of the said orthogonal portion, and which coincideswith start of the second perpendicular section, there is a hole. 18.Handle assembly for vehicles according to the previous claims,characterised by the fact that the integrated insert (2) may be fastenedto the trimming (1), and along the outer side of the half-casing thereare; a protruding longitudinal tooth (214) which clips into acorresponding seat (114) formed along the lower side, and towards theinside, of the trimming (1); flexible teeth (215) which stick out andcoincide with the position of the tabs (112) which are to be found alongthe trimming (1).
 19. Handle assembly for vehicles according to theprevious claims, characterised by the fact that the part of theintegrated support (2) which protrudes with respect to the trimming (1)on the side which is fixed to the door of the boot (B), is formed by theseal (213).
 20. Handle assembly for vehicles according to the previousclaims, characterised by the fact that the seal (213), in the form of atubular fitting, is located around the area close to the flue (212),thus forming perimetral holding lips.